NFL is finally back and we couldn’t be more excited. Who will win the Super Bowl in 2018/19 is the magical question so we put our Scorecast algorithm through the ultimate early test and like it or hate it, agree or disagree the answers are in. Future Bets of 15-1 and up are always a great long term investment, essentially you only need to make the playoffs to make some money.
Rank | Team | Super Bowl Odds
| Why They Can Win | Why Not |
1 | Los Angeles Rams |
|
The complete package with a likeable schedule. Grew stronger on offense with signings of Brandin Cooks, a viable No.1 option for Jared Goff in a scheme that ranked first in points scored last year.
| The defence struggles following the departure of Alex Ogletree, Trumaine Johnson and Robert Quinn. Puts more pressure on young QB Jared Goff. |
2 | New England Patriots |
| Tom Brady and Bill Belichick still demand excellence. | Have they managed to upgrade a defence that was shredded by Nick Foles seven months ago? Can the old crew stay healthy? |
3 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Stacked on both sides of the football, and expecting bigger things from Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor this year. The defence also received a large boost with the signing of defensive end Michael Bennett. | Carson Wentz is still a maybe, while back up Nick Foles has had a preseason to forget. The defensive line also lost some key veteran pieces. They have distractions that didn’t exist last season. |
4 | Green Bay Packers |
| Aaron Rodgers is healthy and distraction free after signing a hefty $180 million contract. New cordinator Mike Pettine should breathe some new life into the defence, and Jimmy Graham adds another target for Rodgers. | We already know if Rodgers gets hurt it’s lights out. The Packers still have plenty of other question marks though, especially at running back and inside linebacker. |
5 | New Orleans Saints |
| A very talented roster full of veteran talent. Drew Brees is one of the most accurate quarerbacks in the business, and the defence, led by Cameron Jordan, could easily rank Top 5. A full season of Alvin Kamara at running back also looks a huge plus. | The schedule. The Saints face the Panthers twice in the final two weeks, with the Steelers mixed in between. That’s not what you want considering how tight the NFC South typically is toward the end of the season. |
6 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Dalvin Cook returns from a season-ending ACL injury, adding just another layer to one of the league’s most explosive offenses. After a 38-7 hiding in the NFC Championship Game last year, the defense should also play with a chip on its shoulder. | A quarterback transition is never easy, and although Kirk Cousins is an established passer, a few growing pains should be expected. The question is, just how painful will they be? |
7 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Still a very talented side on paper, Ben, Brown and Bell. Will Bell play? At their best serious contenders. | They were favoured to break through each of the last four years, but have always fallen short. Locker room issues! |
8 | Los Angeles Chargers |
| Dark horse team that has a scary defence and a hot streak finish at the end of last year. Best all round team on paper for me. Great value. | Will Phillip Rivers throw too many interceptions? No, but can they stay healthy? |
9 | Atlanta Falcons |
| The Super Bowl heebee-geebies are over, and Matt Ryan should be back to his MVP self. Adding wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the draft was clever, and Mohamed Sanu could build toward a 1,000 yard season. This offense has so much speed and athleticism – and that’s without even mentioning Julio Jones. | Can Matt Ryan get over the red zone yips? Aside from the division and the schedule, the Falcons need some other guys to step up. Running back Devonta Freeman needs to stay healthy, while tight end Austin Hooper needs to take that extra step in the receiving game. If none of that happens, 10-6 is likely once again. |
10 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Fournette isn’t a rookie and that defense led by Ramsey is still outstanding. | It’s Blake freaking Bortles at quarterback and you can trust them to put up big numbers. |
11 | Carolina Panthers |
| Plenty of talent debuting and returning, including first round wide receiver D.J. Moore, running back C.J. Anderson and veteran tight end Greg Olsen. There’s no excuses for Cam Newton this season. | Okay, maybe there is one excuse. Newton has looked a little off since shoulder surgery last year, and Carolina need him to return to his 2015 MVP form as soon as possible. |
12 | Kansas City Chiefs |
| Hunt and Hill are two of the more exciting playmakers and Reid can coach a good team. | Is Patrick Mahomes any good? Time will tell. |
13 | Dallas Cowboys |
| Can Ezekiel Elliott finally carry the Cowboys to the Super Bowl? A full year of Zeke could be special, but so could this defence. The Cowboys are returning 10 of their 11 starters from last year, including last year’s sack superstar, Demarcus Lawrence. | There’s a serious lack of talent at wide receiver, which is likely to result in a pretty low quarterback rating for Dak Prescott. Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are gone, which leaves only Allen Hurns and Cole Beasley as Dallas’ proven receivers. Prescott is an established passer, but can he turn scrubs into stars? |
14 | San Francisco 49ers |
| It’s a small five-game sample size, but so far so good for future franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. Coach Kyle Shanahan often works wonders in his second-year at the helm, and with one of the league’s strongest defensive lines, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 49ers clinch a Wild Card spot. | The NFC West looks like the Rams to lose, but the 49ers lost something themselves last week: running back Jerrick McKinnon. The expensive offseason signing suffered a season-ending ACL tear, leaving the running game in the hands of veteran Alfred Morris and 2017 undrafted free agent, Matt Breida. |
15 | Houston Texans |
| They are phenomenal on paper and there is no way they can have as much bad luck with injuries this year. | Will Watson have any lingering mental scars from his ACL injury? |
16 | Tennessee Titans |
| They made the playoffs last year so they must be doing something right. | Probably the third best team in the division, maybe fourth. |
17 | Detroit Lions |
| Plenty of up and coming talent on offense, including recently drafted running back Kerryon Johnson. Matthew Stafford just needs to find Golden Tate, Marvin Jones Jr. and Kenny Golladay more often, especially in the red zone. | Sacks. The offensive line gave up 47 last season, which will never equal a winning formula in this division. Speaking of the NFC North, the Lions also need to find a way to win at Lambeau and Soldier Field, something they failed to do last season. |
18 | New York Giants |
| Healthy lineup, new head coach and a stud running back. Saquon Barkley is the Giants first real running back since Tiki Barber, and if Odell Beckham Jr. stays healthy and the offensive line protects Eli Manning, there’s no telling where the Big Blue might wind up. | Aside from another devastating season on the injury front, this offensive line simply has to play better. There’s also tremendous pressure on new coach Pat Shurmur to drag the team out of the stone age and employ some creativity on offense. |
19 | Washington Redskins |
| Alex Smith has shown plenty of life during the preseason, and the running game received a serious boost with the addition of Derrius Guice in the draft and future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson in free agency. The Redskins are capable of scoring points, and are just as much of a Wild Card chance as the Giants. | The defence remains a question mark. Injuries riddled Washington last year, forcing plenty of issues defending the pass. It also remains to be seen how the 34-year old Smith adjusts to a support cast that doesn’t feature elite runners or receivers, or head coach Andy Reid. |
20 | Chicago Bears |
| The Bears got busy during the offseason signing receiver Allen Robinson, tight end Trey Burton and defensive end Khalil Mack. That last one, Mack, is by far the most important. He’s a quarterback killer who joins a division that features three of the games best. | The North has played against the Bears since 2010, but that’s not their only concern. Even if this is a run-first offense, a lot will be asked of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, especially in a scheme now manned by mastermind coach Matt Nagy. |
21 | Seattle Seahawks |
| Now entering his sixth season, quarterback Russell Wilson is still an elite level talent. He’s still got trusty teammate Doug Baldwin by his side, and first round running back Rashad Penny right behind him. It’s been a while since the Seahawks have featured a trustworthy back. | Now missing Richard Sherman, the defence is a huge concern, but there’s issues with the offensive line as well. Wilson was sacked 43 times last year, and there’s no signs of improvement in sight. The loss of tight end Jimmy Graham could prove costly as well. |
22 | Baltimore Ravens |
| Joe Flacco decides it’s time to play for a new contract again. | Opponents seem to know how to outsmart Harbaugh. |
23 | Indianapolis Colts |
| Andrew Luck, aka the sole source of hope, is back. | Is Luck able to stay healthy and how much talent is actually around him? |
24 | Oakland Raiders |
| The NFL reverts back to 2002 when Gruden was a hotshot coach. | It’s 2018 and the last game Gruden coached was 28 December, 2008 |
25 | Miami Dolphins |
| Good Ryan Tannehill is back. | Bad Ryan Tannehill is back. |
26 | New York Jets |
| Sam Darnold might be the first competent quarterback they have had since Chad Pennington. | Their December form is exactly the same as the last few seasons |
27 | Denver Broncos |
| They still have Von Miller leading a defence full of talent. | Case Keenum used up all his luck in last season’s playoffs. |
28 | Cincinnati Bengals |
| Joe Mixon and John Ross are over their rookie struggles and can give a big boost to the offence. | A team known for losing their head, a fast start is critical here. |
29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| The pieces are in place, but Jameis Winston’s three-game suspension to start the season really hurts. A turnaround season from Winston, Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson could maybe see the Bucs compete, while rookie running back Ronald Jones II is a huge improvement on Doug Martin. | The NFC South is as tough as it comes, while the defence is still a mystery. The Bucs added a couple of veteran pieces in the draft, but if the work is left up to Gerald McCoy again, things could get ugly. |
30 | Arizona Cardinals |
| Plenty of unknowns, but also plenty of proven commodities. Larry Fitzgerald returns, but more importantly, so does standout running back David Johnson. If Sam Bradford plays like he did in his two starts for the Vikings last year, who knows. | The defence was so-so last season, and that’s about where we expect the Cardinals to finish again this year. With new head coach Steve Wilks in town, expect a slight transition period coupled with some growing pains. |
31 | Cleveland Browns |
| They cannot possibly be as bad as they have been in the last two years. | It’s the Browns & Hue Jackson is still the coach. |
32 | Buffalo Bills |
| They have three of their last four games at home if they are still in a playoff hunt by then. | This might be the least talented roster in the NFL. |
